Undergarment



sept. 29, 1935. N, ,MLER 2,055,538

UNDERGARMENT Filed Jan. 28, 1955 Nava-Ufer: fina/ef' Patented Sept. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE UNDERGARMENT Application January 28, 1935, Serial No. 3,785

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to undergarments, such as corsets, girdles, foundations and the like, and more particularly to garments of this charactercapable of molding the hips and posterior 45 portions of the wearers body, as well as other desired portions thereof.

Recent developments in undergarments of the above indicated character have involved the utilization, in various forms, of elastic fabric possessing the quality of two-way stretch,-that is to say, an ability to stretch in directions at right angles to each other. Such elastic fabric has been heretofore employed either for entire garments, or has been used in combination with non-elastic material to provide for two-way stretch over certain areas where a molding effect is desired. While the use of elastic material having twoway stretch properties has to a large extent supplanted the use of non-elastic material and semirigid stays in the manufacture of undergarments, it has been found that in some types of garments and with certain figures, the elastic fabric yields too much and does not provide enough restraint, particularly over the rear hip portions of the wearer.

According to the present invention, there is provided an improved undcrgarment which is particularly characterized by its combined use of two-way stretch elastic fabric, non-elastic fabric, and semi-rigid stays in such a manner as to obtain just the desired amount of molding and restraint as, for example, over the hips of the wearer or over any other body portion where restraint is desired, without materially affecting the comfort of the garment and its ability to always accommodate itself to movements of the wearer. The above and other advantageous features of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Fig. 1 is a three-fourths rear view of the garment on a wearer.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, with a portion of the garment broken away to show the construction.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3, showing the garment removed from the wearer.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown in Figs, 1 and 3 a garment embodying the invention, which consists generally of a front panel I, a rear panel 2 and associated side panels la and 2a.

In theparticular embodiment of the invention shown for purposes of illustration, the rear panel 2, andv side panels ia and 2a are composed cntirel'y of elastic material having two-way stretch `properties, that is, the ability to stretch both up- Y and down and across the wearers body, while the front panel l is composed of non-elastic material. It is to be noted that the rear panel 2 and side rear panels 2a extend over the hips and posterior portions of the wearers body, and the present invention is concerned with the utilization of means in association with these rear panels for obtaining a particularly effective restraining and molding effect, without impairing the inherent stretchability of the rear panels, in permitting free movements of the wearer.

As best shown at the broken away portions of Fig. 2, the rear panel 2 has associated therewith a hidden panel 3, which consists of a middle section 4 of non-elastic fabric in which are enclosed semi-rigid stays 5 extending substantially vertically in the panel. This central section 4 is incapable of stretching either up or down, or across and is secured along its edges to strips 6, 6 of elastic two-way stretch material similar to the material of the rear panel 2, the strips 6 in turn being secured to the panel 2, along its edges by the seams l, l.

In the unstretched condition of the garment as shown in Fig. 4, it will be seen that the distance measured along the rear panel 2 between the seams l is slightly less than the distance measured along the hidden panel 3 between the seams. Consequently, when the garment is applied to the wearer as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the slight slackness in the hidden panel 3 between the seams 1 compensates for the non-elastic character of the middle stayed section and the panels 2 and 3 are stretched uniformly to give a smooth fit, the stays 5 of the hidden panel being pressed closely over the fullness of the hips.

From the foregoing then, it is apparent that the hidden panel 4, providing as it does a stayed section of non-elastic material, will exert a particularly effective restraining and molding effect on the posterior portion of the wearer, particularly through the hips, whereby a much iiatter back line is obtained than has been heretofore possible in garments utilizing two-way stretch material. Since the hidden panel A is really suspended within the back panel 2 by reason of the strips 6 of two-way stretch material, the inclusion of the stayed section 4 of non-elastic material in the garment in no way limits the ability of the rear panel 2 to stretch lengthwise of the body of the wearer. In other words, the hidden panel 3 in no Way limits the ability of the garment to stretch up and down, due to the pull exerted by the garter loops 8 which are attached to the lower edge of the garment near the seams 1.

While for purposes of illustration the invention is shown as being incorporated in a garment of a particular type known in the trade as a foundation or combination, obviously it is not so limited but may as well be incorporated in other types of garments, with the hidden panel, stayed or unstayed, located at any desired portion of the wearers body where a molding and restraining effect is desired.

I claim:

1. A garment of the class described, comprising an outer section of elastic two-way stretch material and an underlying inner section connected only along its longitudinal edges to said outer section, marginal portions of said inner section being adapted to yield two ways with said outer section while other portions of said inner section resist yielding both Ways with said outer section.

2. A garment of the class described, comprising a panel composed of elastic material capable of stretching both up and down and across the Wearers body, and a panel underlying said rstnamed panel, providing a portion composed of non-elastic material incapable of stretching either up or down, or across, said non-elastic portion being free of the rst panel and being connected thereto only by longitudinal side sections of elastic material adapted to stretch both ways with said first panel.

3. A garment of the class described, comprising a panel composed of elastic material capable of stretching both up and down and across the Wearers body, and a panel underlying said firstnamed panel, providing a portion composed of non-elastic material incapable of stretching either up or down or across, said non-elastic portion of the second panel being connected to the first panel only by longitudinal side sections of elastic material capable of stretching both Ways with said first panel, and said underlying panel in the unstretched condition of its side sections, being of greater width than the rstnamed panel in its unstretched condition.

NELLE IMLER. 

